Wood-planing machine.



W, C. FARNUM.

WOOD PLANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man. MAY 12; 1911,.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I ///0 Ill/l/I/f/flI/III/llll 71/1 A7LTORNE m: "cams PEIER: cu. Puma-1.1mm. wAsmNa mu, 0. c.

w.-c. F ARNUM. WOOD PLANING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED MAY I2. I91?- 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

n42 NORRIS mains in. Puma-ma. wlsnymzmn, n.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

2 laner finishes one surface of a board or piece {WILLIAM 0. FA NUM; oF wmcHEN'noN; MASSACHUSETTS; flssielxion To' WInLIAm M. .WHITNEY; orwmeHENDoN, iymsshcnusnms weon-rLAiI-me MACHINE.

ispec ification of Letters Patent. :Patented Aug,-:'6,.1 918',

ap iiieafimffieaiiray 12, 1917. serialno. i'es,144'.

To'dll 'cdhom'z't may concern 'Be it known that Ii'WIL rAMf FAItNUM, acl'tizen of the Unitedj States, residing at Winchendon, countyof Worcestenandstate of"Massachusetts,"have invented an Improvement in- Wood-Planing Machines, of

which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying.drawinggis a specification, like characters, on the drawings representinglike parts. a

' The invention to b'e'hereinafter described relates to motor supporting, balancing and connecting devices, andm reparticularly to means for directly connecting motors] r to Wood planers. I p a j' e ,As'well understood by those'skilled in the art, :there are'tWo generalfltypesof Wood planers in common use at the preseiit'time,

namely, the single surfaceflplaneri andthe double" surfaceplaner. vThe single'surface offtimber, as its nameimplies, Whereas, the double surface planer finishes both 7 surfaces of the Work. Asii'rgl'esi rfa'ce' planer requires only one cutter cylinderto a'ct upon'the single s'urfaceto "be planed, Whilef the1do1ihl esur'- fa'cef planer has "ttvo 'cuttercylinders, onefor acting upon? one surface'of tlre work, and the other for actin'g'upon theother;surface off the Work, Inasmuchj as the wvorlrforf boards may difler infthickness, it is 'neces" sary' that the" cutter} cylinder ibe adjustable to accommodate "such varying thick r'ressesof the work; and it is also desirablef'that' the cutterv cylinder be adjustable for varying the ,clepthofcut:

' Where the cutter cylinder isdrivenfby a: motor,si1ch-, for instance, as an electric motorfitis desirable thatth'e' d'riying member of the motorsh'all maintain suhstantial axial alinenient fwith :the cutter cylinder which it drives;

,An important feature of the present invention, therefore, consists in providing a v motor support which may be mdepen'dent of the main supporting frame of the planer,

andinterpos'ing means between the cutter the" motor, so that upon" adjustment of the cut cylinder or its adjustin'gdevices and" ter cylinder i'n a direction at'suhstantiallyi right an'g'lesto jitslongitudinal axis, or for Various means may be employed for car-i tying this feature of theinvention' into prac- V tlcal effect, andinthe'present instance, the

motor is counter-balancedby means such-as awvei'ght or spring,'an'd guided on'a support Wl'llCll may be'move'd intop'roper position relative to the planensothat upon adjust ment of the cutter cylinder, the motor may be readily nlov'ed' automatically With the cutter cylinder 'to' maintain the driving member of the motor in substantial axial alinemen't with the cutter cylinder. Itis obvious that the same means, mayleeused to attach a motor'to various otheri'typ'es of machine, in which" the driven shaft is movable vertically,

It' is deslrable atj'times to move the motor from its driving position in order to manipulate -the critter cylinder, and to this end another important feature of the invention consists in so supporting the motorfin "opera;

tive relation to thecutter cylinder, that the motor may be "freadilyfmovedf from driving p it- 0 wh de i ed;

V carrying. the present invention" into;

practical efle ct, the-motor ma be mourited on a"supportifldependent of'the mainframe, or' s uh' support? may hef-adjustahly connect ed to the main frame, "the 'construc'timrbeing such'that the motor may "be adapted fordriving the cutter. vcylinder of planers a1: readyin use not originallydesigned to he drivenbv a; directly] connected motor.

The above and variousj other features of the invention Will best made clear from the following description" accompanving drawlngs showing one good, practical form of'the invention as'applied'toadouhle sur- 7 7 face planer, it beingunderstood, of course, that changes-and variations may be made in the details of construction, WlthOllt departingffrom the scopeof the present invention,

ch s fi i e forth; was claims;-

III the drawings Figure'l 1s a perspective view of aldoubl'e' surface planer 'having the present inven tion assoeiated therewith Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section, showing a modified form of support and counter-balance for the motor.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, showing the'motor support of Fig. 2 and the connection between the motor driving member and the cutter cylinder.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale and some of the parts being broken away.

Fig. 5 shows one form of convenient connection that may be employed for operatively connecting the motor driving member and the cutter cylinder.

Fig. 6' is a sideelevation with some of the parts broken away, showing another modification of the motor support means.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of theconstruction 7 shown by Fig. 6, and illustrating in sectional detail the convenience of such connection between the motor driving member and the cutter cylinder.

Referring more directly to Fig. 1 which typifies one general form of planer, the main supporting frame comprises the side frames 1 which are connected by suitable cross braces 2, said frame being'ofa char acter adapted to support the operating parts of the planer.

In exploitat on of the present invention, it Wlll be convenient to describe the motor and its association with the lower cutter cylinder as indicated in Figs. 1 and 6t, and as embodied in a double surface planer,b.ut it will be understood that the invention is not limited in these respects.

The cutter cylinder (Figs. 1 and 4;) is

mounted upon itssupporting shaft or axis 4 which is sustainedin suitable bearings 5, one at either side of the machine The bearings .5 may be of any'suitable character, and in the present instance of the invention, they are shown as rising from a supporting member 6 which rests upon the top portion of a wedge 7, the inclined lower surface of the wedge 7 bearing upon a vertically adjustable member 8, the inclined lower surface 9 of which rests upon the adjusting wedge 10.

Secured to and movable with the member 8 is the table 11 on which the work is placed and over which it travels during the surfacing operation. The wedges 7 and 10 may be properly adjusted by any suitable means, one convenient form of which is shown in Fig. 4 as comprising a screw shaft 12-which may be conveniently turned by the gear 13 operated by any suitable means, as well understood those skilled in the art. .From

the construction described, it will be noted,

that upon adjustment of the wedge 1.0 the entire frame 8 including the cutter cylinder and, table 11 will be moved in a vertical direction toward and from the opposed work engaging devices, which, mrthe present in stance of the invention, may comprise the rolls 14 and 15, thereby accommodating the relation of the cutter, cylinder, table, and the opposed work engaging members for variations in thickness of work. If desired, the rolls 14 and 15 as well as the under rolls 16 and 17 may be appropriately driven to constitute feed rolls for the work. Should the Wedge 7, however, be adjusted on the frame 8, it will serve to move the cutter cylinder relative to the table 11 to Vary the depth of cut. i

Rising fromthe base portion 18 of the motor support is the post or stand 19 having guideways 20 for engagement with complemental guide members 21 connected to the motor22, the construction being such that the motor 22 may move in the guideways 20 in the plane of cutter cylinder adjustment when the motor support 18 and 19 is placed in operative relation ,to the ,main frame of the surface planer. In Fig. 1 the base portion 18 of the motor support may be provided with some convenient form of means such as the bolts 23 for securing the motor support in such position that the m0- tor 22 when movedin the guideways 20' will be confined to the plane of cutter cylinder adjusti'nent.

Rising from the. post or stand 19 of the motor support are the bracket members 24 carrying a roll 25 over which passes a flexible connection 26 between the motor 21 and the counter-balance 27. The counter-balance, in the form illustrated bythe Fig. 1, comprises a weight 27 and is of sufficient mass to substantially counter-balancethe weight of the motor, the construction being such that should a slight force be applied to move the motor 22 in the guideways 20 ofthe motor support, the motor will read-- ily respond to such slight actuatin force. Obviously, instead of using the weight 27 as in Fig. 1 to counter-balance the motor 22, equivalent means might be employed, such, for instance, as a spring, which is the well known equivalent of a weight for the pur-' poses described.

In order that the motor 22 may actuate the cutter cylinder 3, a 'suitable clutch connection is employed. This, in the illustration shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, comprises an Oldham clutch, that is, there are two clutch members 28 and 29, each provided with a groove and having interposed between them the floating member 30, the construction being such that upon rotation of themotor the cutter cylinder will be suitably actuated. From the construction described it will be apparent that should the cutter cylinder 3 be adjusted at right angles to its longitudinal axis, as for instance, to accommodate themachine to different thicknesses of work or. for variations in depth'of cut, the clutch connection described 1,275, ree

between thev cutter cylinder 4-and themotor will transmit suflicient *force to move the counter-balanced motor inthe plane of and in the direction of cutter cylinder adjustment.

The Oldham clutch connection between the cutter cylinder and driving member of the motor constitutes not only a convenient form of driving connection between the two, but serves also to cause the motor to'be moved with the cutter cylinder as the latter is adjusted either for thickness of, work or depth of cut. Instead, however, of-p'roviding a clutch betweenthe driving member of the motor and the cutter cylinder which will cause movement of themotor withthe cutter cylinder as the'latter is adjusted, any convenient means may be employed between the cutter cylinder and; motor which will effect movement of the motor with the cutter cylinder as the latter is adjusted. One form of such means isindicated in Fig. 5, wherein, the axis or shaft 4 ofthe cutter cylinder is provided with a clutch member 31 having toothed portions 32 adapted to engage complemental toothejd portions 33 in a clutch member-34 secured to the driv-v ing member '35 of thei motor. The clutch member 34 may be secured to the driving member 35 of themotor by any convenient means, and as herein illustrated, it is secured thereto'by means of the set screw 36 and a spline or key 37. Fromthe construction described, it will-be apparent thatthe cutter cylinder Willbe rotated by the driving member of the motor-which is-in substantial-axial alinement with thecutter cylinder, 'and'in order'that the motor maybe automatically moved with and in the same direction as the cutter cylinder as the latter is adjusted-in a direction at right angles to its longitudinal axis, the clutch member 34 may beiprovided with asocket portion 38 into which m'ay pro'jecta pin connected to the cutte cylinder or other part movable therewith, substantially as indicated in Fig. 4,'wherein, theend of the cutter cylinder shaft 4 extends into socket portion 38 of the clutch member 34, the construction being such thatas the cutter cylinder-is adjusted, the pin orshaft 4 ofthe cutter cyl'inder'w'ill transmit sufficient force through the-clutch member 34 for moving the counter-balanced motor automaticallydn'the plane of adjust ment ofthe cutter-cylinder. 1

Instead of the construction ofmotor sup port asindicated-in Fig. '1, other forms of motor supports maybe'employed independ ent of the main frame'of the machinejas for instance, in Fig. 2 the motor support may comprise a column ;39 rising from a base 40 and formed with a hollowed portion 41 in which may be guided the counterbalancing weight 42. As'illustratedin Fig. 2,'the motori mounted upon a sleeve 43 which may rise and fall onthe column 39, and extending from the top portion of the column 39 is an arm 44 having'the guide rolls 45 and 46 over which passes the flexible connection 47 extending between the motor and the weight 42. The arm44 is preferably swiveled. in the top portion of the column 39 so that by disengaging the driving member of the motor from the cutter cylinder by disconnecting the clutch members the motor in Fig. 2-and the arm 44 may be turned or swung-laterally to enable any desired manipulation of the cutter cylinder.

It will be noted that-in the modified'for'm of motor support indicated in Fig. 2, the counter-balanced weight 42' is guided within the column 39 and entirely inclosed thereby; whereas, in the form o-fsupport-indicated by *Fig. 1- the counter-balanced weight 27 is guided-for movement between theguideways 48 secured to the post or upright l9.

Where the motor-is counter-balanced by means of a weight and fiexibleconnection' between'the weight and the motor,it is desirableto secure the flexible connection to the motorat a point substantially in vertical alinement with the center of gravity of theniotor, in order that all binding ef feet or opposition to motor movement by the cutter cylinder may be obviated.

"Figs; 6" and 7 indicate a still further modified form of the motor support, in which the base portion 50 has rising therefrom a post 51 which may be circular in'cross section. Mounted for movement longitudinally of the post 51 is the motor carrying sleeve 52 from which projects the motor supporting arms 53. In the form of con: struction illustrated byFigs. 6 and 7 ,the

motor 22 is preferably provided with the socket port ons 54 adapted to be engaged by the. endsof'the adjusting and sustaining pins '55 which may be held -in supporting position relative to the motor by, means of lock nuts 56, said pins 55 passing through and being threaded to the supporting arms 53 substantially as'indicated in Fig.6.

The motor indicated in Figs. 6 and 7 is suitably counter-balanced. In the present instance, such counter balance is eifected by -means of the weight ,57 which may be connected to the motor by the flexible 'connection 58 passing over suitable guide rolls 59 and 60 supported by the cross head 61. The cross head 61 may be supported upon the post or column 51 by suitable ball-bean ing connections as indicated in Fig. 6, whereby, upon swinging movement of the motor and its sleeve52 onthe post orcol: umn 51' to move .the motor'to one side of its driving position relative 'to the [cutter construction shown by Figs. 6 and 7, but the above constitutes a good, practical form of this feature of the invention. Of course, instead of the sleeve 52 mounted for swinging movement on the post or column 51, the column 51 might be mounted to swing in its supporting base 50,. but these are details which readily suggest themselves as mechanical equivalents to those skilled in the art.

here the counter-balanced. motor is mounted to swing to one side of its operative position relative to the cutter cylinder, it is necessary, of course, that the clutch connection between'the driving member of the motor and the axis or shaft of the cutter cylinder be detachable, and at the same time that there be some means between the cutter cylinder or its supporting bearing and the motor to cause the motor to be moved automatically with the cutter cylinder as the latter'is adjusted.

In the present instance, as illustrated'in the modification of Figs. 6 and 7, the cutter shaft lis provided with a disk 62 having a cap piece 63 secured thereto by suitable means such as the bolt 64. The driving member of the motor is provided with. a head piece 65, preferably of rounded form as illustrated in Fig. 7, and adapted to be held in operative relation with the cutter cylinder shaft 4: by the cap 63 as illustrated in Fig. 8. The construction. so far described will cause the motor to be moved in the plane of and with the. cutter cylinder as it is adjusted. To effect rotativemovement of the cutter cylinder, the shaft 4 of the cutter cylinder is provided with a noncircular or squared portion 66 adapted to be received in a similarly formed socketin the head of themo-tor driving member.

From the construction described it will be apparent that the motor will be held by its support with its driving member in substantial axial alinement with the cutter cylinder shaft, and as the cutter cylinder is adjusted on the main supporting frame, the counter-balanced motor will be automatically adjusted in the same direction as and in the plane of the motor cylinder adjustment, and such movement of themotor will be effected by the exercise of slight force, owing to the fact that the motor is counter-balanced. It will also be apparent that the motor support may be quite independent of the planer and be adapted to support a counter-balanced motor in operative relation to the cutter cylinder of the ordinary planers now in use. It will also be apparent from the construction described, that when it is desired to manipulate the cutter cylinder or remove it by Withdrawing it endwise from the main frame of the planer, the motor may be moved or swung to one side out of the way, and when the cutter cylinder has been replaced or another onesubstituted the motor may be readily swung back into operative axial alinement with the cutter cylinder shaft lVhile the invention has been-described as associated with a wood planer, and while the claims refer to a cutter cylinder, it is to be understood that the motor and the motor supporting, balancing and connecting devices may be employed in any type of machine wherein the shaft to be driven bythe motor is adjustable in a direction at right angles to its longitudinal axis, and the claims are intended to be sufficiently comprehensive to include such constructions.

- Claims. I V I V 1. Thecombination with a normally fixed tool and its support, of an independent driving unit for association with said tool comprising a motor, means directly to connect said motor with said tool to rotate the latter, and supporting means for said motor including means to counterbalance the motor and enable the same to adjust itself to the position required by the tool.

2. The combination with a tool and its support, of a motor having its driving member substantially in axial alinement with the axis of said tool, supporting means for said motor including means to counterbalance said motor, and means to connect said memher with said tool that the motor may adjust and maintain itself substantially in alinement with the axis of said tool.

3. The combination with a tool, of a support therefor, means to adjust said tool relatively to said support to different fixed positions, a motor having a driving member, supporting means for said motor including means to counterbalance said motor, and means to connect said driving member to said tool, that the motor may automatically share the adjustment of said tool. I 7

4. The combination with a rotary tool and its support, of means to adjust said tool relatively to said support, a motor having a driving member, means detachably' to con nect said member with said tool substantially in axial alinement therewith, and means-to support and counterbalance said motor.v

5. v The combination with a rotary tool and its support, of a motor having its driving member substantially in axial alinement with the axis of said tool, means detachably to connect said driving member with said tool, and supporting means for said motor including counterbalance means therefor and means to allow said driving member to swing outlof axial alinement with the axis of said too 6. The combination with a rotary tool, of a normally fixed support therefor; a driving unit for association with said tool com-, prising motor having a driving shaft, means to connect said shaft with said tool to rotate the same, means to counterbalance said motor, a support for said motor and for said counterbalance means, and means to guide said motor as it adjusts itself to the position required by the tool.

7. The combination With a rotary shaft, of a support for said shaft, a motor having a member for driving said shaft, means to counterbalance said motor, means to support said motor and counterbalance means, and connecting means between said shaft and member for maintaining said motor driving member substantially in alinement With the axis of said shaft. I

8. The combination with a cutter cylinder, of a support therefor, means to adjust said cylinder in a direction at substantially right angles to its longitudinal axis, a motor having a driving member, means to counterbalance said motor, means to support said motor and counterbalance means and means flexibly to connect said driving member With-said cutter, that-said member may be maintained substantially in axial alinement With the axis of said cutter cylinder.

9. The combination with a frame, of a table and a cutter cylinder thereon, Work engaging means opposed thereto, means for effecting simultaneous adjustment of the table and cutter cylinder toward and from the Work engaging means for variations in said motor, a support for said motor and counterbalance means, and means connecting said driving member With said cutter for automatically moving said motor on its support in the direction of the cutter adjustment. f c

10. The combination With a rotary tool, of a normally 'fixed support therefor; and a driving unit for association With said tool comprising. a motor having a driving member, a standard, means to counterbalance said motor, means to connect said driving member With said tool for automatically adjusting the motor relatively to said standard to the position required by said tool, and means connecting said motor With'said standard to guide said motor as it is adjusted relatively to said standard. v

In testimony Whereof,'I have signed m name to this specification.

'WILLIAMVO. FABNUM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner oi latents,

Washington, D. 0. 

